Wednesday, May 21, 2014

12:59 PM

The latest Marquette University Law School poll has Gov. Scott Walker and Dem challenger Mary Burke neck-and-neck less than six months out from the general election.

The poll found Burke and Walker tied at 46 among registered voters, compared to a 48-41 lead for Walker in March and 47-41 in January.

Among likely voters, Walker edged Burke 48-45, which was inside the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Poll director Charles Franklin described the results as a "significant tightening of the race.”

The poll also measured the race for those likely to vote and described them as enthusiastic to do so. Walker led among those respondents 50-45.

Other findings in the poll include:

*49 percent of respondents approved of Walker's job performance, while 46 disapproved. That figure was 47-47 in March. His personal favorability rating was 47-48.

*Burke had a personal favorability rating of 27-22. Though 51 percent said they hadn't heard enough about her to form an opinion or didn't know, that's down from 59 percent in March and 70 percent in January.

*52 percent say the state is headed in the right direction; 42 percent said it's on the wrong track. In March, it was 54-42.
*48 percent say the state budget in better shape than a few years ago, while 22 percent said it's the same and 25 percent believes it's worse.

The poll also asked respondents about state Rep. Brett Hulsey of Madison, who has said he plans to run for guv. Seventy-eight percent of respondents hadn't heard enough about Hulsey to have an opinion of him, while 2 percent had a favorable view and 9 percent an unfavorable view.

Self-identified Dems and independents were asked if they planned to vote in the Dem primary come August. Those that said they did were given the option of the four Dems who have registered with the GAB to run this fall; 66 percent backed Burke, while 3 percent favored Hulsey. Eighteen percent were undecided and 6 percent didn't know.